Ruling applies only to parties in two consolidated lawsuits

The deadline followed Hendrix’s one-week period for requesting a stay of his ruling. The ruling concerned parts of the National Firearms Act that had restricted the transfer or production of silencers, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns.

Brady President Kris Brown said in a statement Thursday: “Today, our government is failing us. At midnight, uniquely lethal weapons and devices — including silencers, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns — were deregulated for the first time in nearly a century. The Department of Justice had the opportunity to act to protect our safety, but it failed to do so.”

A Department of Justice official reportedly told news outlets the Justice Department “is currently assessing the impact of the court’s ruling.”

Emma Brown, executive director of Giffords, said in a statement: “The Department of Justice’s decision is a failure to defend public safety.”

“For nearly 100 years, Congress has required background checks before someone could buy a silencer, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun,” she said. “These commonsense safeguards keep these dangerous devices out of the wrong hands. Silencers make it harder for law enforcement to detect and locate active shooters. And short-barreled rifles and shotguns are easily concealable and extremely dangerous.”

The lawsuit before Hendrix consolidated two cases. The first was brought by B&T USA, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Palmetto State Armory, Silencerco Weapons Research, Silencer Shop Foundation, 15 Republican-controlled states and several individuals.

The second case was filed by the Texas State Rifle Association, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, FPC Action Foundation, Hot Shots Custom and several others. Hendrix’s ruling applies only to the parties in the two cases.

Erich Practt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America, said in a statement: “For nearly a century, Americans have been forced to beg the federal government for permission to exercise their Second Amendment rights. That changes tonight.”

Gun Owners of America and Silencer Shop announced that two of their members “lawfully acquired suppressors without complying with the currently enjoined registration requirements of the National Firearms Act of 1934.”